Wild pekins?

[Ally Rose]

yesterday I went to visit a local lake to see the ducks. I recall seeing pekins there before when I was a child, but I don't know if i was just kidding myself. I have never heard of wild pekins and i didn't think it was possible, but yesterday I saw a bunch swimming together in a huddle. I was just wondering, is this normal? Are they really pekins or are they...i don't know...mutated mallards? I also keep seeing mallards with, instead of a dark brown chest, a white chest. is this because their breeding with pekins? Im also scared of the fact that The pekins might have been tossed there by a person. Can anyone tell me if they are wild, and by wild i mean they have not been put there by humans. Thank you!

 

[country_girl011]

no such things as wild pekins.
they are dumped off by people.
and yes the wild mallards will cross with them.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Pekins are a domestic breed. I suppose you could call the Pekins you see on the lake feral. At some point these pekins or their parents or parent's parents got loose or were dropped off in the lake. Most domestic ducks are most closely related to mallards, so I suppose those could be pekin mallard crosses that you see.

 

[Ally Rose]

What also confused me was that the pekins weren't big. They were about the same size as mallards, and I was wondering, how did this happen? how did they become so small?

 

[Blondiega1]

What also confused me was that the pekins weren't big. They were about the same size as mallards, and I was wondering, how did this happen? how did they become so small?

Cross breeding.
Pekins are not wild. As someone else said, I suppose they could become feral.
No doubt easter ducks dumped off.

 

[sourland]

There are also white mallards and white call ducks that are smaller than pekins. Recently on a trip to Holland I saw mallard sized/type birds of every domestic duck color imaginable. It was a veritable rainbow of mallard/type ducks filling every canal, river and pond.

 

[Ally Rose]

Oh so white mallards are different from pekins? I always thought they were the same. can you get those from breeders/hatcheries?

 

[Kevin565]

Oh so white mallards are different from pekins? I always thought they were the same. can you get those from breeders/hatcheries?

White Mallards are a Color phase of Mallards. You will not find good quality ones at hatcheries if any. You will need to locate a breeder

 

[Ally Rose]

Thanks! so would a breeder sell eggs?

 

[Kevin565]

Yes they would. I believe Holderread's sells adult pairs